Category Archives: News

About Asylum Support

People who claim asylum in the UK are prohibited from working or claiming mainstream benefits. Many of the asylum seekers GMIAU represents rely on a small amount of cash and accommodation provided on a no-choice basis by the Home Office – this is called Section 95 support. People who have their asylum claim refused may have access to limited, cash-less support known as Section 4. GMIAU’s Asylum Support and Housing Advice (ASHA) service – operating out of Greater Manchester Law Centre – provides support, advocacy and advice for asylum seekers who need support to avoid becoming homeless and destitute.

We believe that no one should be destitute as a result of their immigration status.

Thank you to everyone who supported the fundraising appeal to raise vital funds for GMIAU’s destitution project (ASHA). ASHA (Asylum Support Housing Advice) is a very busy service which helps people who are seeking asylum or who have been refused and are facing destitution and homelessness and sees over 1000…

We are pleased to announce the launch of our inaugural impact report, published earlier this year in November 2017. Our report is intended to shine a light on some of the work that our dedicated team of staff and volunteers complete on a daily basis, as well as highlighting some…

Rosie is a mum with two daughters and a son. She has been separated from them for three years. ‘I claimed asylum on the day I arrived in the UK. My claim was refused, I appealed the decision and was finally granted asylum. It was only when I was granted…

The All4One group was set up to create a safe social space for children and young people between the ages of 13 and 21 who are seeking asylum or have been trafficked, and are living on their own in Manchester. The group meets monthly for fun activities, trips and events.…

A study of the experiences of children from the Calais ‘jungle’, now claiming asylum in the North West of England, shows why we must speak up for refugees during the election campaign. The door into Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit is on the corner of two busy roads near a…

At GMIAU we continue to make the case for Letting More Dubs Children In. Thank you to everyone who has helped spread the message. News that the camp at Grande-Synthe outside Dunkirk was destroyed by a fire in April only demonstrated the urgent need for children to have access to…

GMIAU director Denise McDowell was recently invited by the University of Manchester to work with a Student Group on the module – The Anthropology of Development and Humanitarianism. The students presented their research on the subject of “how anthropology can help to think about the issue of refugees and people…

It was a bittersweet evening as Trustees, staff, volunteers and students gathered to thank Rev Andy Braunston for his outstanding leadership and valuable contributions made over the last decade as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit. Through thick and thin Andy was a strategic…

Families in the UK that open their doors to child relatives fleeing the camps of Calais are being penalised by stringent rules on legal aid. It was a cold winter day last year and the small waiting room at Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit is cramped as usual with clients…